A Celebration of the Jesus Vision

People usually think of Christmas as a traditional and sentimental festival, but not as a celebration of the Jesus vision it commemorates: a philosophy of profound reform. The child lying in the manger would become perhaps the most radical of all spiritual visionaries, showing how to live more joyfully and communally. Many people today feel an underlying anxiety due to world events and the challenges of getting along in a complicated world. Christmas allows a break from that gray depression, an inner darkness reflected in the winter sky.

—from the book The Soul of Christmas

†Quote "There are two ways of knowing how good God is: one is never to lose Him, and the other is to lose Him and then to find Him." — Archbishop Fulton Sheen

† MEDITATION OF THE DAY "It is, then, in following the will of God, in spite of all the difficulties that may arise both from within and from without, in the constant offering of ourselves to God as the creatures of His hand to do and to be what He would have us, in the surrender of one thing after another that comes between us and Him and holds us back—it is in such acts that we unite ourselves with those glorious beings who cast their crowns before the throne and with those unfallen creatures who have never known what it is to have a wish or thought apart from the will of God. Amongst those glorified saints there are, indeed, many whose wills were for a long time in revolt against God's will and who brought themselves at last into subjection, many to whom the will of God here on earth meant the sacrifice of everything the heart most loved, many to whom it meant the sacrifice of life itself. But all that is past and over, and its fruits remain—the eternal life of oblation and union with God, where one will rules those countless multitudes and binds them together and to God, where each one of those countless millions lives his own complete and perfect life yet never jars on any other, where each is perfect in itself and all together compose one perfect whole—the Body of Christ." — Fr. Basil Maturin, p. 47 AN EXCERPT FROM Spiritual Guidelines for Souls Seeking God

† VERSE OF THE DAY "But no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so." James 3:8-10

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Blessed Anthony Grassi

(November 13, 1592 – December 13, 1671)

Anthony's father died when his son was only 10 years old, but the young lad inherited his father's devotion to Our Lady of Loreto. As a schoolboy, he frequented the local church of the Oratorian Fathers, joining the religious order when he was 17.

Already a fine student, Anthony soon gained a reputation in his religious community as a "walking dictionary," who quickly grasped Scripture and theology. For some time he was tormented by scruples, but they reportedly left him at the very hour he celebrated his first Mass. From that day, serenity penetrated his very being.

In 1621, at age 29, Anthony was struck by lightning while praying in the church of the Holy House at Loreto. He was carried paralyzed from the church, expecting to die. When Anthony recovered in a few days he realized that he had been cured of acute indigestion. His scorched clothes were donated to the Loreto church as an offering of thanks for his new gift of life.

More importantly, Anthony now felt that his life belonged entirely to God. Each year thereafter he made a pilgrimage to Loreto to express his thanks.

He also began hearing confessions, and came to be regarded as an outstanding confessor. Simple and direct, Anthony listened carefully to penitents, said a few words, and gave a penance and absolution, frequently drawing on his gift of reading consciences.

In 1635, Anthony was elected superior of the Fermo Oratory. He was so well regarded that he was reelected every three years until his death. He was a quiet person and a gentle superior who did not know how to be severe. At the same time he kept the Oratorian constitutions literally, encouraging the community to do likewise.

He refused social or civic commitments and instead would go out day or night to visit the sick or dying or anyone else needing his services. As Anthony grew older, he had a God-given awareness of the future, a gift which he frequently used to warn or to console.

But age brought its challenges as well. Anthony suffered the humility of having to give up his physical faculties one by one. First was his preaching, necessitated after he lost his teeth. Then he could no longer hear confessions. Finally after a fall, Anthony was confined to his room. The archbishop himself came each day to give him Holy Communion. One of his final acts was to reconcile two fiercely quarreling brothers. The Liturgical Feast of Blessed Anthony Grassi is December 15.

Reflection

Nothing provides a better reason for reassessing a life than a brush with death. Anthony's life already seemed to be on track when he was struck by lightning; he was a brilliant priest, blessed at last with serenity. But the experience softened him. Anthony became a loving counselor and a wise mediator. The same might be said of us if we put our hearts to it. We needn't wait to be struck by lightning.

Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent

Reading 1 Jer 23:5-8

Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David; As king he shall reign and govern wisely, he shall do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah shall be saved, Israel shall dwell in security. This is the name they give him: "The LORD our justice."

Therefore, the days will come, says the LORD, when they shall no longer say, "As the LORD lives, who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt"; but rather, "As the LORD lives, who brought the descendants of the house of Israel up from the land of the north"– and from all the lands to which I banished them; they shall again live on their own land.

Responsorial Psalm pS 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19 R. (see 7) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever. O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king's son; He shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment. R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever. For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save. R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever. Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous deeds. And blessed forever be his glorious name; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. R. Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

Alleluia R. Alleluia, alleluia. O Leader of the House of Israel, giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai: come to rescue us with your mighty power! R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 1:18-25

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,

which means "God is with us." When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus.

Meditation: Matthew 1:18-25

3rd Week of Advent

When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him. (Matthew 1:24)

Like all of the Israelites, Joseph had been waiting for the Messiah. He just never expected that he would be the one the Savior would come to! He was just an everyday small-town carpenter. He probably had no idea what would happen to him if he were to accept this new role. And yet he embraced God's will without hesitation.

We often look at saints like Joseph and think we could never be like them. On one level, this may be true. Joseph played a key role in salvation history, and he did it heroically. But if you boil it down, all Joseph really did was act on what he understood God wanted from him. It wasn't always easy, but Joseph tried his best to push through.

Today, you will have many opportunities to imitate Joseph's simple, trusting obedience. Maybe as you're ready to criticize someone behind his back, your conscience gives you a warning, and you decide to keep quiet. That's God telling you to push through the negativity. Or maybe you have avoided calling a friend to apologize for something you did, but something in your heart urges you to make that call. That's God asking you to push through your reluctance. Perhaps you are in the middle of Mass, and you get the sense that God wants you to devote a little more time to prayer. That's God asking you to push through to a deeper prayer life.

Of course, you can't always know how things will turn out once you do decide to push through and follow God's lead. Life doesn't always go the way we expect. Just ask Joseph! But if he is any indication, we can be sure that a life marked by trust in the Lord is challenging but fulfilling.

You may never know what God will accomplish through you. But you can be sure that if you don't follow Joseph's example, you risk missing out on the joy that he knew. Obeying God isn't meant to be complicated; it isn't meant to be a burden either. It's just the right thing to do.

"Heavenly Father, help me to be like Joseph. Lord, I want to be ready to do your will today."

Jeremiah 23:5-8 Psalm 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19

2 cents : Our Lord spoke through the prophet: ' I will raise up a righteous shoot to David; As king he shall reign and govern wisely, he shall do what is just and right in the land...."The LORD our justice." And the shoot, the life stemming from the stump of Jesse comes, our Lord and Savior. A beautiful stem. A beautiful vine like no one has ever seen or heard of. This vine gives wine. It ferments its own fruit. And we sip on the succulent juices of the Spirit, because it is Holy and extravagant in its mercy and healing and loving tender care. Wisdom then points to this, exoneration and exemplification, all because of what the vine feeds off of, and makes pure and salvific in its nature. Are there people enamored with Christ? Yes. Have you ever seen a soul so in love with Jesus? I would like to....

Let us pray: "Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever. O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king's son; He shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment." So far, just in these 2 cents, we have heard the word "Justice" about 3 times. And this won't be the end of it either. For the Lord is Justice. And justice here means so much. Justice can see right through malice, and when it sees through malice, it sees what else is locked away in that soul...a trapped soul. What God sees no one else can. Therefore, when He entered the world as a baby, and even in the womb, no one knew. Except, a holy person. A just person. Only who God desires to know. Think Israel, think Judah, think now you chosen one.

Mary is betrothed to Joseph. Let me begin again: Blessed Mother Mary is betrothed to Holy Saint Joseph. There, that does more justice, more honor, more reverence because of who they are bound with.....Jesus, who binds us all. Holy Scripture says "Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame decided to divorce her quietly." What? Why? What happened? There are some hidden things we do not know for sure. Blessed Anne Emmerich recounts visions that are phenomenal about Blessed Mother Mary. She says she was given as a child to the Holy Temple and was a consecrated virgin. Another thing that is said is that she was Jew, of course, but not a Pharisee, nor a Sadducee, but a very holy type, an Essene, the kind that lived solely for the purpose of worshiping God, far and apart from the rest...set apart indeed means Holy in Hebrew (Ka-dosh). And for reasons of protecting a virgin, it was possible a holy man would be "betrothed" to the virgin, to keep her a Holy Virgin forever for God. Pure. Undefiled. Completely for God. So now that she is found to be pregnant, because she probably spilled the beans to him, he didn't know how to react the most holy way than to be silent (humility) and let her go her way. WOW. Most people would want to save their own necks and crucify the other for the sake of their own reputation, right? Don't we crucify others every day with slander talk against others? Makes you wish you couldn't speak anymore huh? Humility, WOW. Joseph prays. An angel appears and says ""Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. " An angel ALWAYS has to tell the person they appear to "Do Not Be Afraid". Except to one person...Blessed Mother Mary. As if she though, was familiar with angels...hmmm. Check this out: "For it is THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT" this child is conceived in her. To us, no big deal. To the Jews, this means sooo much! For in the beginning the Holy Spirit created the cosmos, brought disorder to order (for more on Jewish roots and Holy Spirit click here). Now, the Holy Spirit, this amazing creating Spirit of God is going to become a HUMAN BEING? Uhhhh....amazing?

My dear family of God, I believe there was a time in our world, when the people of God truly cherished this moment and embellished it. There used to be a time when this great honor was made a great feast, and families would unite to honor our Lord for the moment he would be unwrapped and unraveled from Blessed Mother's Holy Body of a Tabernacle into this world we live in. The greatest present in the world...God's only Son. The Son God said would be King forever. The Son that came to say "I love God our Father SOOOO Much, I would die for Him". WOW. WOW. AMAzing. And all along the ways, He loved and loves like no other lover of the world. Turning the cheek. Admonishing the sinner with great love. Because He cares for them into eternity. I have hope. You have hope. We have hope because Jesus reigns and lives.

Can we for at least a moment give silence to God twice a year. Once, for the moment He gave His life, and once for the moment He gave His life. So while you are frantically shopping and planning gatherings and gifts, think for a moment, Jesus is out there in the hidden world. If you'd be wise, you'd seek Him this Christmas. Look for Him. Pray, and seek. And ye shall find Him. In the least expected place. Sitting, set apart. So natural. So innocent. So pure. So virgin. So chaste. So Holy a sight. And this is our King? Will you accept Him? Purity is a hidden gem. To be pure. To be purely His. This is right. This is righteousness. And you can be made pure. Think the vine. Think the blood pumping through Christ's heart. His Body reproduces millions of times per minute. Why? Because, the spark that started it all says so. "I created a gift called life" Jesus is the Way The Truth and the LIFE